So if I took ferrasorb I would not need to supplement any B's or iron since it's "all in one"?

Interesting....I may have a gene that causes all this? I love that there is a simple reason for my hair shedding. thank you!

Are there any other symptoms of being low in B12 & B9? Any info you can give will be greatly appreciated!!

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Ferrasorb only has b12 and b9 in it, however they are the essential vitamins for the body to use iron.

You would need a b complex to get the other b vitamins, which are important, but not as important as b12 and b9.

Also, avoid cereals and food that has added folate (b9) or added b12

Yes, a gene means that you cannot absorb and convert b12 and b9 from food or normal supplements, in fact they make you deficient in them.
you would need "special" supplement. several companies make them

I ordered the Thorn B complex and will take this along with my iron...so I may be missing the MTHFR gene?? if so, you just solved the biggest mystery in my life! my babies were all born healthy and on time but VERY low birth weight and there was no answer for it. that and my massive hair shedding is the only issues I have...I also have mild Raynauds (my finger tips turn blueish when im cold) but I don't think that's related. maybe it is!

Hi all! Confused about the talk about ferritin levels and test results. I'm told all my blood work is "normal". I was thinking about ordering Viviscal but it has iron in it and I don't want to OD on iron. The women's multivitamin I'm taking (nature made) already has iron in it. Here are my iron, TIBC and serum results:
Iron- 131
TIBC - 424
saturation% - 31

Can anyone tell me what these mean? I don't even know what questions to ask the doctors anymore.

Hi, your iron and saturation levels seem to be in the middle of the range, but you really need to check your ferritin to find out whether you have iron deficiency or not. When I started taking iron supplements my iron and saturation went up a lot but ferritin stayed below normal, so it did not help my hair loss. I am experimenting with different iron supplements and also taking yellow dock tea, but I have a problem keeping iron in store (i.e. ferritin) because my period has become more frequent since the hair loss started 2.5 yrs ago at age of 37.5. Iron and vitamin D are my only low results in tests, everything else seems fine, including sex hormones, so I really don't know how else to stop this hair loss. It keeps getting progressively worse and it is diffuse, but in the past year it moved to the front of my forehead and also to the back. It started on top and on the sides.

Thank you. Please excuse my ignorance, what is the difference between iron and ferritin levels? I have had a million tests run and I don't recall seeing the word "ferritin" on any of them. Honestly I don't even know where to look on my test results. Is this a separate test altogether? I have also been having wonky periods for the last two years.

It started two years after the birth of my daughter, my periods became incredibly heavy for the first two days so I asked to be put on the pill to regulate them. I had been on Yaz in the past but asked for something "lower" because I was worried about the risks. Well, I was put on microgestin. My periods were lighter but came twice a month on that. The nurse told me it was probably because I wasn't taking the pill at the same time every night and that some women are "just more sensitive to that". Some months I would have one and some two so this went on for a year. We moved and I told my new doctor's office about it and they switched me about a year ago. I guess that was the kiss of death for my hair. A few months later it started coming out by the brush full. I chalked it up to a bad highlight job but I started having anxiety attacks. I asked if it could be related to the pill. I was switched again. In one year I have been on six different pills! Now my doctor is saying it sounds like perimenopause. I'm just devastated. I only turned 40 this summer. Has your doctor mentioned this or suggested this? Do you have a diagnosis for your hair yet? Does increasing iron really help? I'm waiting on the results of a scalp biopsy. It's so scary! It feels like a double whammy of being robbed of all of your femininity.

Many doctors do not routinely check for ferritin, so you need to ask them explicitly -- it is the iron stored in the liver and it is the first to go down before you develop an anemia. Scientific studies have shown that women who experience either AGa or Teologen Eflluvium hair loss have significantly lower ferritin than those who do not. In my case it is true, but I have not been able to get my ferritin to the minimum of 70 ever, and I periodically go low on vit. D as well, so now I'm trying to watch both all the time and will see if it makes a difference. My hair loss started suddenly, I lost a lot of hair, maybe 30% or even more over the course of 4 months, then it diminished but it never stop. I recently had a test and it says 23% is in shedding phase, whereas it should be 10%. I am not taking birth control, but I know the problem is related to my heavy period, which became a bit heavier 3 years ago, a few months before the hair loss started. I found out I had three tiny fibroids, but that on its own does not account for it. Then my period became shorter and a bit irregular -- instead of 28 days, it comes every 25 or 26 and even 24 some times. Usually one month it is 27 and the next it is 24 days. The gynecologists who looked at my tests did not suggest I have perimenopause, but it is possible that the hormones are not as they used to be. I also turned 40 two months ago, it is a bit early. I don't have a diagnosis - dermatologists had different opinions and no solutions. I'm experimenting on my own with keeping my bloodwork at optimal levels and putting some oils on my scalp and hair, as well as some herbs. It always keeps growing but a lot more is shedding, and hairs look a bit thinner than before. Please keep me posted on your progress if you like in a private message. Good luck - keep looking for issues in your bloodwork -- sometimes it is thyroid, but it sounds like your hormones got off balance with the birth control pills. Try taking the herb vitex prepared as a tea for at least three months to regulate those.

When you were thinning, did your scalp show ? Like you thought were going bald in some areas ? Or was it all normal but too much hair falling ? Like I'm losing short hairs and most of them are also thinner than before. I checked my ferretin and it's on 7. Really low but I hope that's the cause of my many years of hair loss.

my scalp did not show but my hair was getting too sparse for comfort. but I also was not as low as you!! I was at a 30, you are all the way down to 7. start the cocktail and add 1 Thorne Vitamin B complex with it and I would take it 2x a day and I bet you start to see results within 4-6 weeks maybe even earlier. the only iron I use is the one I have posted here a million times; ferrous fumarate. I but it from amazon.

Hi Elisabeth!
What a breath of fresh air, you are! I am 24 years old and have been experiencing extreme hair thinning since I was 12 years old. 12! My dad became concerned and took me to my family doctor - it has literally been hell ever since! I have surely lost 50% of my hair and it is at the point where it looks like a select-cut forest when I look at my hairline! As you know, it takes an EXTREME toll on your emotional, mental and physical health. My body literally aches with the stress that I have to deal with and I'm constantly depressed about the issue. It truly prevents me from living my life.

Like all of the stories on here, I have been to multiple doctor's appointments and travelled far and wide to see specialists, only to leave after 5 minutes royally pissed with how they have dismissed my concerns. I have tried everything in the book and have had no luck! I'm at the point where I'm taking a $50/month birth control because it claims to help, I don't know. I am desperate. Your "cocktail" sounds like it really works for some people.

I would just like to know if you could suggest where I start with this new journey? I have been on this site for 2 hours reading posts and am now officially overwhelmed, haha. Any advice would so greatly appreciated!!!!! Thanks in advance

hi emma! I would first run and get your blood work done, you need a test for FERRITIN, IRON SERUM & IRON SATURATION. then let us know the results. if you use an online lab service and go to your local labcorp you will have the results within 24 hours usually.
FYI to everyone: im getting my biweekly labs tomorrow and I will post the results on Wednesday. BUT one of you mentioned taking Thorne products for my B complex b/c of a possible missing gene causing my body not absorbing vitamin B and iron. so I ordered Thorne B complex, Thorne folic acid & Thorne Biotin. ive been using all 3 for the past week and its an instant fix!! suddenly the hair shedding is minimal and my hair looks like it grew an inch in just a few days. it's crazy! and for the first time my fingernails are not soft. I always have nice nails but they are thin. not now! also b/c my lab results from 2 weeks ago were in the danger zone (too high) I have not taken any iron, just my daily C & Lysine. so im not sure if my sudden joy is from the new high quality products from Thorne or the lowering of my ferritin/iron levels or a combination. but I think it's b/c of the Thorne supplements. I really do. I got them from Amazon. I wonder if they make a Lysine & vitamin C. anyway I will report back on Wednesday. and emma, get that test asap please!

Hello all , I've found your posts so useful and have been lurking for a while now. I had my ferritin checked in 2013 and it was just 9. When I got it up to 20 I was told it was now "normal" and I no longer needed to take iron. I still continued to take Spatone daily (low dose iron) but over the past few months I knew my levels must be low due to hair loss and tiredness. I'm in my late twenties and my periods are likely to be the problem. I've lost 60% of my hair but as I had so much to start with it's not too obvious. If the loss continues though it's going to be different.

In the UK the doctors don't seem to have a clue about iron deficiency. I had to fight to be told what my ferritin level actually was - it's 22. Which they think is normal! So I have sought out an Ayurvedic doctor to get a holistic perspective. And I have decided to switch to a different practice because my preferred doctor has now retired.

I will be on the cocktail once the Thorne B complex arrives. Hope you are all well!

I, too, am suffering from hair loss. I think mine all started from stress..my mother got diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of years ago and I really stressed out over it. I think it caused my cortisol to skyrocket and messed up my adrenal glands.

6 months after the diagnosis, I rapidly gained 36lbs in 1 year. I knew that such a weight gain was not normal especially since I had been trying to lose weight not gain it. I also developed other symptoms like extreme sensitivity to cold, fatigue, loss of libido, dry skin, dry hair etc. My family has a history of thyroid disorder so I went to the Dr. to get my thyroid tested. The Dr. confirmed that my thyroid was enlarged and (she called it a goiter) ordered an ultrasound and blood test. The ultrasound showed polyps on the thyroid. The blood test (standard TSH test) came back that my thyroid was NORMAL. Bullshit!!

I have since fired my Dr. and have learned that we have to be our own best advocates. I found the website STTM, Stop the Thyroid Madness and learned that Dr.'s are not even using the right blood test when they test your thyroid.

Please, if your hair is falling out you owe it to yourself to see if your thyroid could be the main cause. Read the website Stop the Thyroid Madness.

As for me, I do have hypothyroidism and have learned that having low thyroid can lead to low stomach acid. Having low stomach acid makes it hard for your body to digest minerals and vitamins. Low stomach acid acts like GERD or high stomach acid..it feels the same. I also had my vitamin D tested and it came back low as well. I should have had all my vitamins tested.

So, I am going to be joining you in your quest for hair growth! I ordered ironsmart and I also ordered desiccated liver pills. I plan to retest in 4-6 weeks. I'm tired of feeling so tired all the time and worrying about my hair. Another symptom that I have that I now think is due to my low iron is an increased heart rate. My heart rate is usually around 90-100 bpm. I've read where low iron can cause this so I'm hopeful!

good to hear! FYI I ordered ALL Thorne products and threw what I had away. so now I take Thorne Lysine, C, Biotin , B complex and folic acid. so worth the extra money. right now my hair is like a miracle....normal amount of loss in the shower and while styling but that's really it. but I have no idea if it's indeed switching to thorne brand stuff OR that my iron levels are precisely where they need to be for optimum hair. I have not had any iron in about 3 weeks, I tested last Thursday and they were all in my safe range (no longer too high of ferritin) and I was not planning on another blood work until another 8 days but im too curious what they are so im testing again tomorrow. it's only $50 so why not!